A new users first trip with a 910

[remus]

Last week I purchased my first sat nav a Tomtom 910. Just to put the record straight I have never used one before, but I have been reading the post in this forum for some time.
Anyway I purchased from PC World via the web site and collected at the Rochester store. I did check with the sales assistant if the unit had been in stock for a long time. I was told that the current stock had only arrived at the store two day before.
Took the unit home and put it on charge for two hours, before I did anything with it.
Had a quick look at the instruction book and noted that the first time it was switched on it may take some time to get a fix.
Fingers crossed I pressed the power switch ……Great it came up first time…..Entered in my home details etc and walk out side the house to wait 10 or 20 minutes for the first fix. Much to my surprise within about 30 sec the screen changed colour it had a fix.
Next was the installation of tomtom home, all went without any problem, screen said that a newer version of home was available to download so I said yes. Then invited to download latest software update to 6.11, a bit worried would the unit stop working?.
The first time I switched it on after the software upgrade and not connected to the PC all worked fine, but the next day on pressing the power button the unit would not respond. Out came the paper clip that have already been attached to the case. One press of the reset and all was well again, (and has been ever since)

Now to the speed camera database paid my money and followed the instruction on how to download and set up the 910. Well done to Mike Alder very good instructions made to whole process easy. I choose the full version and set up spoken announcements for each camera type.

So to my first ever trip using a Sat Nav about 60 miles to Eastbourne. Played safe and printed off full directions to take with me !
Entered the Hotels post code and off we went. After a few miles I was hooked what an amazing unit. The speed camera warning came up around 5 times during the journey giving me plenty of time to say good morning to the camera as we passed it.
I did find one problem on the way home. The A228 West Malling by pass is being made into a dual carriage way so has a 30mph limit with mobile cameras at times. When travelling from the A20 towards Kings Hill you get a warning. But when coming in the other direction you have already travelled for a mile or so through the 30 mph roadwork’s before you get the camera warning, just as the 30mph zone ends. It needs another warning at the Kings hill roundabout for traffic going North.

After about 50 miles the mount came unstuck from the windscreen and the unit fell to the dash. (Yes the mount had been fitted correctly e.g. turned until it clicked twice) Outside temp was 25 in car was 21.5. Return journey the mount stayed in place.

Now to the maps!
On the trip to Eastbourne 2 major roundabouts not on map. A wrong spoken instruction. A new by pass had been built a few years ago and is On the map. But as you come towards it the nice lady tells you to bear right. The map shows what would have been the old road as well as the new but when you drive along this stretch the old road has gone.
Another classic is Junction 2 on the M2. This junction was totally re built about two years ago when the M2 was widened. If you are travelling North along the A228 and want to join the M2 coast bound you are given the wrong instruction e.g. told to go straight on over the roundabout (which is what used to happen) But if you turn left at the roundabout Tomtom then gives you the correct instructions to go under the motorway. Some bright spark in Teleatlas /TomTom has both the Old junction layout and the New showing on the map.
Another good one is the screen will say Maidstone West the spoken voice tell you Maidenhead West.(someone having a cup of tea when they entered the voice code for that one ?)

Now having been viewing this forum for some time I have seen the many other comments on the standard of the maps also the reports on how they are produced or not.
Am I the only one to think that in 2006 it should not be beyond these companies to get the details correct? If Teleatlas and Tomtom can’t get their act together another firm will come along and do the job properly. Yes if it’s a printed book of maps then you would have to wait for a reprint. But in the 21st century with modern technology like the Internet we should be able to down load for a small fee up to date and corrected maps every say three months. Errors sent in by the public should be passed out to a group two checkers in that area, these people would not no each other so if both agree with the error it get corrected.
Now I said for a small fee, most of us do not need to have up to date maps for the whole country. So divide the UK into smaller regions e.g. Kent, Surrey, Sussex or Essex Suffolk Norfolk etc. You can then choose what areas you need to be up to date. You then only need to pay for the areas of the UK you use most.
This forum has 93996 members say ¼ have a Tomtom and each of these downloads just one map update at £3.00 every quarter. That comes out at around £281,000 a year. It should not be rocket science to get the correct details from the Highway / Planning depts & the major House builders and get them entered into the database correctly!.
Dear Teleatlas & Tomtom. Please talk to each other, then pull your finger out and give us the End User the standard of Maps we should expect from a quality product. If you don’t it will only be time before another firm shows you how. Your shareholders will then loose out.

I think the 910 is a great unit (so far) but is let down by the standard of Maps.

Kevin.

PS. Well done to all the Pocket GPS World team a very good site.

[tonys66]

I see you never done a backup after installing home mmmmmmmm.

[remus]

Yes I did do a back up but sorry missed it of the list.
kevin

[Gmonkey]

[TonyHoyle]

I wouldn't bother they're both crap..

I just got one with the 'new' mount... with the drooping problem.. and it fell off the windscreen 10 seconds after putting it on. I've done the hack to fix the droop but have had to relocate the mount to the middle of the windscreen otherwise it won't attach because it needs a *totally* flat portion of glass... really annoying as it's right in my view & gets in the way.

If only I could get a hack to use my ONE mount with it - that was sheer quality by comparison.

[TonyHoyle]

[remus]

No it was the old style mount that came with this 910

[Gmonkey]

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